Photographic bath apparatus.



No. 7ll,978. Patented Oct. 28, I902.

- C. S. L. KENIEDY.- PNOTOGRAPIIIC BATH APPARATUS.

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No. 7||,97a. I Patented Oct. 28, I902.

c. s. KENNEDY.

PHOTOGBAPI'IIC BATH APPARATUS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. L. KENNEDY, OF NORTH EASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PHOTOGRAPHIC BATH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 711,978, dated October28, 1902.

Application filed December 26, 1901. Serial No. 87,191. (No model.)

To all whom it may (Jo/warn:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. L. KEN- NEDY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at North Easton, in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Photographic BathApparatus, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification,like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a novel apparatusfor use by pho tographers for washing negatives and prints. As this workis now commonly done the negatives are left to stand in water and theprints and films are commonly laid in running water. 1 have found byexperiment that the prints are better washed when suspended for adefinite length of time in what may be considered still water than whenlaid in running water so long as the water in which the printsaresuspendedis changedfrequently. Changing the water frequently ratherthan employing running water results in economy of water, which incities is important.

In my invention I have provided a main reservoir to contain water andhave operatively connected with it an auxiliary reservoir or reservoirsin which I may suspend prints or films or may stand up or sustain glassplates. I have provided the main and auxiliary reservoirs each with asuitable valve or equivalent whereby the water may be permitted to leavethe main reservoir and enter the auxiliary reservoir and maybe permittedto leave the auxiliary reservoir at stated intervals of time. I haveprovided, as herein shown, a beam or lever, which is suitably connectedwith said valves to open and close them, and the time of operation ofthe beam is controlled by the flowing of a small stream of water; butthis invention is not in all cases limited to the use of a beam actuatedby water to open and close the valves periodically and instead I may useany other suitable or equivalent mechanical device. By suspending theprints or films in water all liability of injury thereto, which iscommon when the films are laid one on top of another in water, isobviated.

Figure l is a rear side elevation of one form of apparatusembodying myinvention in one of the best forms now known to me. Fig. 2 is a planView thereof with the bottom of the main reservoir partially broken out.Fig. 3 is a section in the line 9;, Fig. 2. Fig. i is a detail to bereferred to. Fig. 5 shows a filmholder such as may be used.

The main reservoir (1, supplied with water, it may be, from any suitablesource, as a spigot a, has a small overflow-pipe a out through whichwater will flow when the reservoir is filled even with the top of thepipe (L The bottom of the reservoir has a valveseat a with which coactsa valve to". Alongside of the main reservoir and shown as located at alower level is an auxiliary reservoir 1), divided, as shown, to form twosmallerreservoirs 1') b with the central space b between. The reservoirbhasa valve b and an overflowopening at N, from which leads a conduit1). The valve a has a depending stem 0, (see Fig. 3,) notched at oneside to be engaged by a lever 0 having its fulcrum at 0 and said leverhas connected to its opposite end a link 0 suitably shaped to bedepressed by any suitable actuating device, herein shown as a beam 0pivoted at S and having its ends 6 and 7 shaped to receive water fromthe overflow-pipe a The lower end of the lever c is provided with aclosure or face 10, that at times acts to close the open lower end ofthe conduit 1'). The valve 11 coacting with the seat 0 has its stem dengaged by a Valvemover, shown as a lever d, having its fulcrum at (land suitably connected with the beam 0'' by a link (1 The valve a closesthe passage (1 leading into the reservoir 1;. To sustain the glass-platenegatives (Pin the division I) of the reservoir 1), I have provided ametallic basket com posed of a bottom plate 6, notched side walls 6',and suitable upright rods 6 by which to lift the basket from and put itinto the reservoir.

The end walls 2 3 of the portion 1) of the reservoir 1) are suitablynotched or otherwise shaped to sustain a print-holder E, one good formof which I have shown detached in Fig. 4. The holder shown is composedof a bar 6 and one or more spring-clips e, the bar having a downturnedrim or ledge 6 against which the spring-prongs e of the holder nip andhold the edge of the print to be suspended in the water in the reservoir19.

Suspending the prints or films at one edge better exposes them to theaction of the water and prevents one print or film from rubbing againstanother.

In operation let it be assumed that both reservoirs have been filledwith water and the glass-plate negatives and prints or films areproperly inserted in the chambers of the reservoir 1) and that the beamoccupies the position shown by dotted lines, Fig. 1, the valve a beingclosed and the valve b open. The water is permitted to enter and fillthe reservoir a, and soon the water begins to run from the reservoirthrough the overflow-pipe a and the water falling on the incline 12enters the end 7 of the beam. A small quantity of water will act to turnthe beam into the full-line position, Fig. 6.- As the beam comes intothe full-line position the valve 5 is raised, permitting the water tofiow from the chambers b b of the reservoir 6, and thereafter the .waterescaping through the pipe at falls on the opposite incline 12 and entersthe end 6 of the lever, causing it to be again turned into itsdotted-line position. This movement of the lever, acting through the rod0 and lever 0, opens the valve a and closes the valve b letting thewater in the reservoir a .enter the reservoir 7). As the lever movesintothe dotted-line position, Fig.1, it causes the closure 10 to becarriedfrom the full-line position,Figs. 1 and 3,into the dottedline positionshown in said figures opposite and to close the open end of the conduitb". When the water enters the reservoir 1) up to the outlet 6 the waterpasses through said outlet into the conduit and meeting the closuremoves the link 0 laterally from under the beam, when the weight of thevalve a, which is greater than the weight of the link c and its partscarried by it, drops on its seat, and thereafter the reservoir a will befilled again to the point of running over, when it will again actuatethe beam in the manner described, so that a continuous operation offilling one reservoir and then the other,emptying each in succession,will be carried on.

Fig. 5 shows a film-holder h, having suitable projections h, by which itmay be sustained on the walls of the reservoir 1), said holderhavinginturned ends 773, behind which may be engaged the ends of thefilm.

The compartments 6 7 at the ends of the beam 0 will have a suitable leakdevice (shown as a small hole) to permit the water standing in the lowerend of the beam to escape therefrom at the proper rate of speed.

One of these holes is indicated at the left in Fig. 1. I

Having described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. In a photographic bath apparatus,a main and an auxiliary reservoir, avalve coacting with each of said reservoirs, and means to open and closesaid valves automatically at desired intervals of time to firstdischarge the water from said auxiliary reservoir and then dischargetherein the water from the main reservoir.

2. In a photographic bath apparatus,a main and an auxiliary reservoir,avalve in each of said reservoirs, and means connecting said valvescontrolled by the overflow of water from the main reservoir to effectautomatically the opening and closing of said valves to change the waterin the auxiliary reservoir.

3. In a photographic bath apparatus,a main and an auxiliaryreservoir,and avalve in each reservoir, combined with means intermediatesaid valves and controlled by water overflowing from the main reservoirto automatically open and close said valves to change at predeterminedtimes the water in both said reservoirs.

4. In a photographic bath apparatus,a main and an auxiliary reservoireach having a valve, an overflow-conduit connected with said auxiliaryreservoir, a device to close the open end of said conduit, said devicebeing moved away from said conduit by the overflow of water into theconduitfrom the auxiliary reservoir.

5. In a photographic bath apparatus,a main and an auxiliary reservoir, avalve in each reservoir, and a lever connected with each valve, saidlevers being moved at intervals by water overflowing from the mainreservoir and opening and closing said valves to supply the auxiliaryreservoir with water at predetermined times.

6. In a photographic bath apparatus,a main and an auxiliary reservoir, avalve in each of said reservoirs, a lever connected with each valve, thevalve of the main reservoir being closed when the valve of the auxiliaryreservoir is open for the discharge of water therefrom.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. L. KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

GEO. W. GREGORY, EDITH M. STODDARD.

